That’s why it’s good to flip the script from time to time. Conventional wisdom says that in order to be healthy and fit, you need to spend hours in the gym. Of course, training can be a wonderful approach to take, and it will help you feel so much healthier than you would otherwise. But without the ability to rest from your effort, you’ll limit your results.

Moreover, it’s important to note that with all the stressors of life, some of us need good rest to begin with. So, if you’re hoping to get in shape this year, consider learning how to rest well. In this post, we’ll discuss various methods for achieving that:

Routine Rest Is Essential

Of course, you don’t have to put two hours on the sofa before you go into the gym, although that would be nice. It’s good to bake-in rest into your schedule. As strange as it sounds, doing that is not always an obvious practice. Not everyone has a reliable sleep schedule, they get it when they can, and it’s ebay to procrastinate in the evening. Yet as you might put time aside for the gym, learning to sleep at appropriate times, and to get as close to your eight hours as possible can rocket-boost your gym performance, especially if experiencing a plateau.

Listen To Your Body

It’s essential to be mindful of how you feel. Sometimes, throwing yourself at a workout you have zero energy for isn’t necessarily the wisest option. If you need rest, you need rest. Sometimes, taking a night off, or taking a deload week is essential for even elite athletes. As you can imagine, it’s certainly crucial for those adapting to exercise and getting their body used to renewed activity once more.

Fuel Your Body Correctly

It’s essential to fuel your body for exercise, but you’d be surprised at how nutrition can help with recovery, too. For example a high-protein diet allows for increased muscle recovery. Relaxing supplements like Nothing But Hemp help you to get better sleep and rest after workouts more easily. Plenty of water allows your body to flush toxins, keep your digestive system healthy, and your skin and bones in good condition. Vitamins like Vitamin D helps improve your immune system allowing you to feel stronger more capable, which is essential to meet the load of exercise.

With this advice, you’re certain to get fit but never by dismissing your necessary need for rest. That way, you can work out, but without harming yourself.

The post Want To Get Fit? Learn How To Rest, First appeared first on InstantELLA.

Try New Things

At some point, we find a certain type of music (or even a certain artist) and stick with it. In fact, studies have even shown that after a while, we stop enjoying new music, and that’s why we keep going back to the tried and tested tunes we’ve loved for a long time. 

Of course, that is a generalization, and unless you try new things, you’ll just never know. So why not? By diversifying your playlist even a little, you might come across some wonderful and unexpected pleasures and treasures that open you up a little more to what great music can be like. You’re not going to like everything, but if you want to appreciate music more, trying new genres and artists is a great idea. 

Learn To Play

Another excellent way to appreciate music more is to learn to play it yourself. When you can read sheet music, when you understand how harmonies work, when you know more about what goes into creating music in general, you’re sure to have a better appreciation for it when you listen to it. 

You don’t have to become an expert in playing whatever instrument you’ve chosen, but having a little knowledge and the ability to play some simple tunes is a great place to start – it’ll open up all music much more for you, ensuring you can get more deeply into the mechanics of it, rather than just what you hear as the finished result. 

Practice Active Listening

How do you listen to music at the moment? For a lot of people, it’s something that’s on in the background while they clean the house, cook dinner, read a book, or drive their car, for example. And although it’s great that you can fit music into your life like this, the issue is that when you’re multitasking, you’re not really getting the full experience of a piece of music – that only comes with active listening. 

What do we mean by active listening? Active listening means really immersing yourself in the music you’re listening to – it means only listening to the music and not doing anything else or being distracted. In this way, you can hear all the little intricacies that you might have missed otherwise, and you’ll get a better understanding of the piece. 

If you want to try this, you’ll need to set some time aside specifically to listen to your music, and you’ll want to be in a place where you’re not going to be disturbed. When you can really listen to the music, you’ll appreciate every note, making it all that more special.  

The post How To Appreciate Music More appeared first on InstantELLA.

You wouldn’t have to shell out for some expensive renovations to do that, though.

Once you’ve sorted the practicalities of your bathroom – it’s worth checking out the most common plumbing problems to ensure you’re risk free- you need to look to the aesthetics. Sometimes, it’s the smaller things that make the largest impact. By changing a few of the more minor things, you’ll have make quite a difference in how the bathroom looks. It’s worth looking at three ways you can do this.

Make Your Bathroom Nicer: 3 Easy Picks

1. Swap Out Lighting

The lighting in a bathroom often isn’t appreciated enough. It plays a large role in how your bathroom looks. Not only does it have to light everything up, but it has to do so in a way that isn’t harsh. It could be worth focusing on this when you want to make your bathroom nicer.

Fortunately, there are multiple ways you can play with lighting in your bathroom. Focus on making sure the lighting feels warm without being overbearing. Putting your light sources in the right places helps with this, and it could be worth trying different placements. Keep the mirror in mind and don’t go with anything too bright.

2. Change The Shower Curtain

Your shower curtain is one of the more prominent decorative pieces in a bathroom. While it’s used to keep water from getting on the tiles while you shower, it also has a significant impact on how the room looks. It’s worth focusing on that when you want to make some changes.

Peach shower curtains could be worth considering. They bounce off the rest of the room while enhancing the overall aesthetic. If you’re using neutral colors in your bathroom, this stands out quite nicely.

3. Add Some Paint

Perhaps the easiest way to make your bathroom nicer is to add some paint. If you don’t have tile walls, this could be one of the more effective ways to change how the room looks. While you might have to get a specific type of paint that can put up with the moisture, it’ll be more than worth it.

You shouldn’t even have to spend too much time painting for this to look nice. Pick a color that complements the rest of the room. Something neutral can be recommended, especially if you have a white sink and bathtub. You’ll have a calming, relaxing bathroom before you know it.

Make Your Bathroom Nicer: Wrapping Up

If you want to make your bathroom nicer, you might think you’ll have to do some renovations. While these could have a significant impact on how the room looks, they’re far from the only option you have.

The smaller changes could be worth focusing on, especially if you’re on a budget. You could even get them all done in an afternoon, as long as you know what you’re doing.

The post 3 Easy Ways To Make Your Bathroom Nicer appeared first on InstantELLA.

Use a Multipurpose Spray

Are you looking forward to saving time? Bring a multipurpose spray bottle to your home. However, the liquid will be prepared in your kitchen. All you need is a half cup of vinegar and a half cup of water. On the other hand, if you’re repulsed by the smell of vinegar, you can infuse essential oils into the blend. Most people use lemon as it has a lucrative smell. The most amazing thing about this spray is that it can be used on almost any surface in your home, such as your countertops, the interior shutters in your windows, and kitchen cabinets. Leaving you with a cleaner home without using any strong chemicals. 

Use Olive Oil

It is not only good for your health but has plenty of other benefits too. Many experts acknowledge it as furniture polish because it is the perfect antioxidant. The use of olive oil will surely simplify your life and allow you to live sustainably. Use a cotton cloth and drench it in olive oil. Once the cloth has absorbed enough quantity, you must squeeze it. Don’t forget to add lemon juice, as it will cut the strong smell of olive oil. Use the blend to polish your furniture, and once done, let every piece of furniture out in the naked sun.

Fight Mould with Vinegar and Tea tree Oil

No wonder mold is a major problem in major households right now. However, one spray infused with vinegar, and tea tree oil is enough to fight this problem. All you have to do is prepare the home spray and rub it on the affected parts. Once done, allow the liquid to rest on the surface for 30 minutes. On the contrary, if you’re not an avid DIYer, it is recommended to consult professional home cleaners. Make sure to learn about their net reputation before hiring.

Use Bicarbonate Soda

Bicarbonate soda works in 3 ways broadly: it emanates a sweet smell, fizzes if wet, and will penetrate grease without much effort. Bicarbonate soda is a major necessity in households because it assists in bathroom cleaning to a great extent. On the other hand, it helps remove grease from the infected areas of the bathroom. Secondly, if you wish to see the sanitary parts of the bathroom shine, bicarbonate soda will enable you to breathe life into this goal. Once the bicarbonate soda is used, it will help in giving out a fresh look at the surface.

Use the Castile Soap

Most experts swear by this biodegradable and non-toxic soap. It is usually used as dish soap, for laundry detergent, and the floor cleaner. Recently, experts have also recommended it for use as a shampoo. To create it, you need to wash up the liquid, mix some part of the castile soap with a little amount of water.

For best results, it is recommended that you use a quarter cup of vinegar and don’t forget to put hot water in it. Squeeze the castile soap so that the mixture can benefit from it the most. 

The post Top Ways to Clean your Home Naturally appeared first on InstantELLA.

Thankfully, adopting the correct , simple & easy to follow hair care regimen can lead to good habits that result in healthier, happier & revitalized hair. Here are some tips:

Use The Right Products (In The Right Amount) For Your Hair Type

Hair differs in texture, color, width etc. First, learn how to identify hair type in order determine what types of shampoo and conditioner your hair needs & how to style it. For example, if your hair type is dry and frizzy you will likely use something heavy in moisture. When choosing a shampoo, opt for an organic and herbal based blend that promote and maximize healthy hair growth.  Again, most hair types benefit from a dime-sized amount of shampoo, conditioner, and styling products, according to Constantine James, a celebrity hair and makeup expert. James told Greatist that using too much product is simply a waste of money and does nothing for you.

Rethink The Frequency & Way You Wash Your Hair

Wet hair is extremely weak and thus more vulnerable to breakage than dry hair. Frequent shampooing & common mistakes in shampooing and the consequent combing & drying of hair,  wears down your hair (especially if you like hot water), and can remove your natural oils. Unless you have a very oily scalp, wash only once or twice a week. As a bonus, the less you wash, the less often you need to apply a styling product. In between washes, briefly rinse hair to remove dirt.

Get Your Brushing Technique Correct

Frequent & mindless hair brushing or being too aggressive while brushing your hair will only cause damage, and no-one wants to contend with fluffy, split ends.

“For perfectly shiny, healthy and untangled hair, you should be brushing your hair twice a day,” suggests hairstylist Laura Superbi. “Once in the morning and once before going to bed, for about a minute each time.” “Brushing from the roots causes damage – always brush from the bottom and work up,” advises hair stylist Tracey Cunningham, especially if you have long hair. 

Wet hair is extremely weak and thus more vulnerable to breakage than dry hair, so tugging at your tresses with a brush or a comb post-shower to de-tangle is one of the worst things you can do.

Waiting as long as you can to work through those tangles (and also using a high-quality hair brush when you do) is a good idea for all hair types, even if it requires a little more extra patience.

Get A Good Haircut & Learn How To Maintain It

Studies show that frequent haircuts is good for the overall health of your hair. Don’t wait to develop split ends, tangles and uncontrollable length before you make your next haircut appointment.  Finding a stylist who can create a haircut that’s just right for you and your hair, and who will explain what it’s going to take for you to maintain the look is important. That usually means getting regular trims, says Tania Moran, a stylist at Swank salon in New York City. “If you have long hair, return every six to eight weeks,” she recommends. “If you want it to grow, wait a bit longer. If you have short hair, go in every four to six weeks.”

Massage Your Scalp

Scalp massages with a blend of oils increase blood circulation and stimulates hair follicles. Weekly scalp massage is, therefore, one of the most beneficial treatments for maintaining beautiful hair – Massage your scalp with a blend of oils such as tea tree oil, olive oil, coconut oil & peppermint oil

Protect Your Hair While You Sleep

Learning how to sleep with curly hair and other hair textures is key for setting your hair up for the a.m. The good news is, you can secure your locks with minimal effort—all while you sleep. Below are some tips to protect your hair while you sleep:

• Brush Your hair before bed
• Don’t sleep with wet hair
• Apply a hair serum
• Give yourself a scalp massage
• Braid before bed
• Sleep with a bun
• Spray on dry shampoo
• Sleep on a satin or silk pillocase
• Wear a sleep cap or hair wrap
• Apply a hair treatment
• Apply a deep conditioner

Always Use Heat & Sun Protectant Products 

The longer your hair is exposed to high temps from styling tools like a blow dryer, flat iron, or curling iron, the more damage you can create. Always use a heat protectant spray or serum before you blow dry or flat iron because when used with hot tools, the product breaks down to penetrate the hair shaft in order to work on reconstruction and protection! Similarly, protection from the sun is also a must for your not only your skin but also your hair. Click here for more information on products that protect your hair from the sun and harmful UV rays.

Learn How to Give Yourself a Blowout

Grabbing drying or heat tools immediately after hopping out of the shower is a definite no-no.

Let your hair air-dry for at least an hour before touching it at all, and you’ll cut down on styling time and heat damage all at once.

Heat and direction are the key elements for a successful blowout. The best beauty tip when blow drying your hair is to get as close as possible without actually touching the strands (the heat can do damage). Use a moderate to high heat setting, and make sure you aim down so that air blows along the hair shafts from root to tip. That’s what gives you the sleek shininess of salon hair.

Invest in Some High-Quality Hot Tools

Committing the mortal sin of blow-drying too quickly and using the high heat settings can cause some scary long-term effects on your locks, but the opposite is also true: Skimping on drying time is equally bad for your strands.

When you blow dry and leave hair damp, you’re giving it a one-way ticket to frizzville as the hair becomes exposed to the elements when you walk out the door.

And if your hair isn’t fully dry before you straighten or curl it, you’re putting it at serious risk for breakage. So spend some time to research and invest in the right, high quality tools that are kind to your hair but also get the job done right!

Don’t Wear the Same Ponytail Every Day

For those of us constantly on-the-go, ponytails and top knots often save us hours of styling time, giving us a polished look without hot tools and tons of product. But wearing your hair in the same way every day is pretty bad for it, causing breakage along your hairline and mid-shaft. Be sure to protect your hair by varying your hairdos, as the same placement each day can cause breakage or damage. A high ponytail today should mean a low one tomorrow or a pinned-up twist or bun instead.

Use a creaseless scrunchie instead of a classic hair tie because tough or textured ties can damage your hair. Hair ties, as convenient as they are, can lead to breakage, flyaways, and frizz, which isn’t great for the long-term health of your hair. Give locks a break as often as you can – for example keep your ponytail or bun loose for the same reason you shouldn’t braid your hair too tightly to prevent hair breakage –  to protect your scalp from unnecessary stress and tightness, so it’ll look great no matter what style you’re rocking these days.

Takeaway

Hair growth is not always a matter of shampoo, serums and conditioners, but also a matter of balanced diet, genetics and peace of mind. Most of the factors mentioned above can be easily maintained by minor lifestyle changes; however, genetic factors remain irreversible. Maintaining the right nutritional balance of vitamins, antioxidants and micronutrients along with correction of hair loss mechanism can be a successful hair loss management strategy. So, adopt a supportive hair care routine and make your hair look healthy and damage-free in no time!

The post A Healthy Hair Care Regimen: Tips To Revitalize Your Hair appeared first on InstantELLA.

But what if I told you indoor plants are easy to look after & keep alive? More importantly, what if I showed and proved to you that if you looked in the right places, made the right selection of plant and followed the correct method of propagation, you could in fact start and expand your indoor plant collection for free, giving you that indoor beauty & fresh air you always dreamed of?

Read on to find out about a few very inexpensive & free ways in which I obtained some of my most prized indoor plants. The method of propagation in almost all these cases, barring one, was propagation by rooting in water.

Stems Damaged In Thunderstorm

Citronella (Pelargonium Citrosum)

The Citronella plant known by a variety of names including  mosquito plant geranium, citrosa geranium & pelargonium citrosum is a well-loved plant that produces lavender blooms in summer and is essentially prized for its citrusy scent, which is thought to have mosquito-repelling properties. This should not be confused with the Citronella Geranium plant that produces citronella oil – the active ingredient in citronella candles.

Truth be told, I bought my original Citronella plant as part of a 3/$10 deal on summer herbs at my local Lowes. It was a cute little size in a 3” pot with large parsley shaped leaves. Since I bought it for its mosquito repelling properties, I placed it as a centerpiece on a bistro table outdoors on my shaded patio. Sadly, 2 weeks later a big and unexpected summer thunderstorm hit and knocked the plant over. The tallest part of the stem with a few leaves broke off in the tumble. Some secondary stems also came apart from the main plant. I didn’t see anyway I could save these since they were just broken pieces of stems without nodes for propagating opportunities.

Just for the sake of the scent though I put them in a small glass bottle with water to keep them fresh and brought this indoors. After a week or so, the arrangement still looked fresh and by the third week, I started to notice small roots emerge! Such a wonderful, unexpected surprise. By week 4, I had replanted this with the original plant in the same pot but you could easily replant in a new pot & place in a new location too, as a second plant!

In summer Citronella makes an ideal plant both indoors in containers or outdoors in flower beds but need to be dug up and taken inside before the first frost.They need an area with well-drained soil and full sun and are hardy in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones 9 through 11.

Floral Centerpiece Decor – Cutting

Purple heart (Tradescantia Pallida ‘Purpurea’)

3 years ago, I was attending a training conferences & at the end of the conference, we played a Q&A game. The prizes were many but one of them included the winner taking home the centerpiece table decoration– a beautiful floral assortment bouquet. A member from my table won one of the rounds and since coming up with the answer was a group activity, she offered to split the prize as well. I came home with a cutting from a robust matured Purple Heart plant.

This evergreen perennial has dark purple foliage that can grow about a foot tall but spreads easily and can grow up to 24 inches wide, so it’s the perfect plant to add a beautiful pop of color to your yard. It’s also an excellent container plant, growing well in hanging baskets on your patio or inside as a houseplant.

I debated rooting my cutting in water or directly in soil. My mother-in-law said the second was hassle free but then again, she admitted she had never done this specifically with a purple heart. So, I went with what the winner & others did with their cuttings – rooted in in water and patiently waited for roots to form. They did and today I have a container full of healthy Purple Hearts. How did I do this? Once rooted, I planted my original cutting in soil, where I let it grow, undisturbed through one whole season. It grew strong but long and leggy. I couldn’t bear the look of it so took a big risk cut off the entire length of the stem down to about a few inches and then redivided this stem into smaller sections, repeated the successful step of rooting in water and then planted these smaller new cuttings spaced out in the container, giving it a wholesome, fuller look as the plants began to grow out through summer.

Not forgetting the person who was generous enough to share her purple heart with me, I recently gifted her a cutting from my established plant since hers sadly did not make it. And so, the circle of kindness comes full circle and it didn’t cost a thing!

On Clearance At Nursery

Pothos (Epipremnum Aureumis)

Anyone who owns a Pothos (and I assume there are quite a few of you, given this is a common, easily available favorite) knows it’s a hassle free, low maintenance but fast growing plant. You can propagate several new plants from just a few cuttings from the original. I started off with a $3 Pothos plant purchased at Walmart 5 years ago, that has now multiplied from cuttings into several new pots. Last I counted I had 4 full bursting containers of Pothos – 2 placed outdoors, 2 indoors. I also have cuttings rooted in water in 2 glass bottles decorating my bathroom that have got many compliments. Maybe you’d like trying this too! All this is in addition to that original mother plant. I grow all of my Pothos plants in containers which are brought indoors in winter.

There are a variety of pothos cultivars that offer diverse colors and patterns on heart-shaped leaves. Although they do not have a bloom they rapidly transform in shape, starting off as  a small cluster of leaves and then bursting into dazzlingly long vines of verdant green that are hardy and nearly indestructible making them suitable for a variety of home décor & design ideas.

Neighbor’s Yard Sale

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum)

This is by far one of the favorites from my collection, not only because of its beauty and limited seasonal availability but because of the sentiment surrounding the circumstances by which it found its way to me. An elderly couple in my neighborhood was having a yard sale. When we got to the house, we discovered the couple was actually selling their house to move into a smaller apartment by the end of the month. I looked around at the beautifully landscaped yard and spic and span house. I hoped that the couple didn’t have to move, having spent these many years caring for this home. After making a few purchases, the old lady told me the apartment location they were moving into did not allow plants & would I be interested in taking and looking after her pair of indoor spider plants, each in an almost 16 inch/ 10 gallon set of flower pots. This was an unexpected request and I didn’t know what to do with them, but she spoke so fondly of them, I didn’t have the heart to say no.  So, I hauled them away, plants, planters, plant stands, caring instructions (I made as much metal notes as possible) and all and it was the best decision ever.

Spider plants can tolerate a wide range of conditions, but they prefer moderate to bright indirect light, with temperatures above 50oF and moderate humidity.  You should water them liberally through the summer and mist them occasionally. During winter, cut watering back. Established, container & root bound, spider plants produce baby spider plantlets throughout summer that root easily & quickly in water when detached from the mother plant.

I have propagated several pots of spider plants (I’ve noticed they do better in outdoor hanging baskets in shade)  and given them away as gifts to family, friends, colleagues and school teachers as end of year appreciation gifts.   I am also a Catechist at my 4^th Grade Sunday School at church. Every summer I distribute these baby spider plantlets among my students and help them to root, plant and take home as part of a nurturing activity to teach them human beings are responsible for nature and caring for our Earth. The kids have fun and the lesson is well received. Last year I added a variegated version of the spider plant to my collection and the 2 fit together perfectly.

My Local Gym

Striped Wondering Jew (T. Zebrina)

The term ‘Wandering Jew’ is used for several different plant species within the Tradescantia genus which includes at least 75 different herbaceous perennial species, including the spider wort & Purple Heart plant I mentioned earlier in this blog post.

The Striped Wondering Jew is native to Mexico and gets its name from its zebra-like leaves. Its leaves are paired, creamy white in the middle of each half, and silvery green on the edges. The leaves develop a purple patch on the upper surface and underneath and are asymmetrical at the base. The plant has a trailing habit and looks best grown in hanging baskets, window boxes, containers placed on high shelves.

These plants are not easy to come by. After looking around for a while, I was forced to look to eBay and ordered about 5 cuttings online. The cuttings arrived a few days later and while they were healthy when I first got them, they didn’t root vey well. Having had success with the root-in-water method, I thought this would work for this plant too. But the stalk is so terribly tender it started to rot.

I quicky removed them from water and discovered when I researched online that a Wandering Jew clipping root better in soil. I followed instruction on how to do this and while I had lost half the cuttings from water rot, the 2 that survived seemed to do well in the soil filled starter pots. After a week, I began to see new growth and the leaves took on a healthy look with the required glittery surface. Success!

Not long after, by a stroke of luck, I noticed my local gym had acquired a full basket of trailing Wandering Jew of their own, proudly displayed on the front-customer desk. I shamelessly asked if I could have a clipping or 2 and the staff member on duty said ‘sure, help yourself!’…. music to my ears. Today I too have a pretty red planter bursting with trailing wandering Jew which I proudly display at the entrance of my patio.

Broken stems found in a Grocery Cart

Speedy Jenny OR Baby Bunny Bellies (Tradescantia Chrysophylla)

I must warn you that this is a seasonally grown plant and found around Easter time (March-April) and not very easily available. Like the striped Wandering Jew, this belongs to the Tradescantia  family. It looks a lot like the Wandering Jew with smaller leaves. Where the defining factor of the Wandering Jew is the shiny glittering look of the leaves, what defines the bunny bellies plant is the soft fuzzy surface of its foliage that feels like a rabbit’s belly!

This plant was my most recent conquest and happened literally by accident because I found a couple of broken stalks left behind in a shopping cart, I picked up on one of my grocery runs. I knew I recognized the plant and looked around the garden section for a basket I could buy because here was the evidence it does exist! But I sadly couldn’t find any left. They were all sold out even before they got there. The tragedy!

Luckily the broken off stalk was quite long. So, like I did for my Purple Heart stem, I was able to divide it into multiple smaller cuttings. I repeated the same propagation process by rooting in soil that I had followed for my striped Wandering Jew and it seemed to work even better for this plant since the stem was not too tender & I could really stick it into the soil. I noticed new growth in a couple of days. Once established, I quickly placed it outdoors with better access to sunlight than my sunny kitchen window and it really took off. Each time the stem got too leggy I cut it back and re-rooted these clippings in soil so that a few months later, I now have quite a full trailing basket of little bunny bellies. A true Easter Miracle that taught me that nature is beautiful and resilient if looked after in the right way with love and care!

Ending Thoughts

So, there you have it –6 different ways you could obtain indoor plants & grow and expand your houseplant collection inexpensively, virtually free of cost! Exchanging cuttings with friends, and finding plants in natures are another inexpensive & smart ways to build your collection. But irrespective of the cost, Indoor houseplants are easy to care for and I hope this will encourage you to take the dive and start your own collection soon! If you have other ideas or suggestions on how to inexpensively obtain house plants, please comment on this post, I’d love to hear them.

The post Inexpensive Ways To Start & Expand Your Indoor Plant Collection For Free! appeared first on InstantELLA.

As a one-stop shopping solution for new and preloved fashion, using Poshmark can be fun but also challenging, especially for first time users or ‘New Poshers’ in Poshmark terminology. One of the challenges is not knowing what to list in your closet, or what to list first, what items sell, or what brands sell. This could cause some frustration. So today I thought I’d share, from personal experience, some tips on categories, brands & specific items that are trending & quickly sell on Poshmark!

Posh Markets   

Before I joined (and explored) Poshmark. I thought it was just an online shopping solution for women’s clothing. Since then I discovered that there were several ‘Posh Markets’ or categories/ departments that you could shop from. These include the following :

• Women – Activewear, Kicks, Makeup, Maternity
• Men – Activewear, Fine Watches, Kicks, Luxury Accessories
• Kids – Activewear, Kicks, Prom, School;
• Home – Bath, Bedroom, Dining Room, Kitchen, Living Room

The above are basic markets. But they aren’t all.  I’ve seen Poshmark constantly growing, evolving and improving their offerings. So it was not a surprise to see them add new market categories – Luxury, Boutiques, Seasonal Décor, Office, Gifts and even a wholesale Market –  to their already existing and successful markets!

None of this happened overnight. I remember getting updates and introductory feelers to let the Posh community know of these upcoming markets. I even got surveys once in a while, as I am sure many other Poshers did,  to share our feedback on what works and doesn’t and asking for ideas to help improve the buyer/ seller experience and service! The roll out of the Wholesale Market was evidence that Poshmark was aware and encouraging of wholesale retailers using the app solely as a business for profit. The Home, Gifts, Office and Seasonal Décor Markets recognize that some Poshers aren’t only interested in shopping for clothes and shoes. The Maternity, Petties and Plus Size markets are sensitive to addressing that section of consumers specifically. The all-encompassing Posh Markets make Poshmark a truly one-stop shopping solution for fashion!

Brands

So now that we know what Markets are available on Poshmark, let’s go a step further and take a look at some popular brands.

Visible brands include Nike, Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, lululemon athletica, PINK Victoria’s Secret, Coach & Chanel among others. If these are some of your favorite brands, you’re in luck and will no doubt have a closet full of these coveted items just looking to find new homes. Keep in mind that while some people like the same brands as others, everyone is unique in their fashion sense and style. The idea is to have a fair mix of brands in your closet – some athleisure, some luxury/ designer, some boutique etc. Consumers crave variety and a variety of brands would mean more fashion/ styling options at an affordable cost range. Your objective should be to keep your closet fresh – give buyers a reason to frequent your closet. Mixing up the brands and frequently listing items will get the job done!

Specific Items

You may have a bunch of Nike Tank tops and Calvin Klein sweatpants listed in your closet and sitting around for a while,  but a listing of a pair of J.Crew Flats or Lululemon Wunder Under High-Rise Tights,  sell immediately. Weird? No it’s not, because it happened to me!  “But Nike is a popular Brand” you say, or “hmmm…. I wonder why?” you say. Well, here’s why. Irrespective of brand, some items just have better traction and demand than others and Poshmark offers these items at prices that are competitive for the seller but also affordable to the buyer. It’s a win-win!

I’d put Activewear – Lucy, lululemon athletica, Fabletics, Gymshark, New Balance, adidas, Adidas by Stella McCartney, Athleta, Puma, Jordan, Nike, Beyond Yoga, ALO Yoga, Onzie, Asics, Spiritual Gangster, Under Armour, Zella –  Shoes, and bottoms (pants, jeans, sweatpants of all types)  at the top of my list of items that sell. My closet has seen a lot of success with these. But other items that are highly searched for and sell equally well on Poshmark include Makeup (Urban Decay, Tarte, Sephora), Bags , Maternity, Outdoor (Billabong, Sanuk, Oakley, Quiksilver, The North Face, Patagonia, Columbia) Designer/ Luxury (Frye, Cole Haan, Helmut Lang) & Jewelry/Accessories.

What’s Trending on Poshmark

When it comes to helping build up your closet, Poshmark has gone a step ahead and even shares a report on Brands that are trending.            

Zara, Converse, Levi’s, PINK Victoria’s Secret, ASOS, Marc Fisher, Everlane, Steve Madden, Vince Camuto, LuLaRoe, Lulu’s, Ray-Ban, Vans, Sam Edelman & Torrid are some of the trending brands.

Free People, Anthropologie, Birkenstock are some the favorite Boho Brands, while Preppy Brands include J. Crew, Kate Spade, Vineyard Vines.

This is expansive but in no way exhaustive information. Poshmark accommodates a lot of Markets, brands and items. If you are a first time Posher trying to set up your ‘New Closet’ online, there’s a lot to sift through and look for and you may have some of these brands. If you have been on Poshmark for a while, looking to up your game in sales, you too could attempt to source some of these brands. Either ways, I hope this information helps you put a spin on your Poshmark Closet because if you’re open to it and willing to put in some time and effort, you can make Poshmark work for you.

The post What Sells On Poshmark: Popular Items, Brands & Posh Markets appeared first on InstantELLA.

It has definitely been a journey – a journey that started with the sole intention of downsizing my closet. I remember the rush I felt at my first sale – an on-trend, comfy grey ‘Old Navy’ pullover sweater. It was not so much that the sweater sold, but the sweet, encouraging buyer appreciation and recommendation comment that really got me.

The Challenge!

I realized putting up a closet on Poshmark isn’t just about making sales. For me, it has grown into something I enjoy doing – from using my creativity involved in the listing process, to sourcing & designing my closet-look,  choosing what items I want to showcase at a posh party, to the challenge of negotiating sales & purchases and finally & most importantly, to the closure of the whole Posh experience with a satisfied buyer and the knowledge that my once loved item has found a new home.

Discovering Fashion Nuances along the way

I never cared too much for fashion. For me, it was more about how one carried off his/her clothes. But now I focus on branding and with it, the more minute details – cuts, sizing, fabric content, place of manufacture and yes, even the style codes/numbers. If you’re thinking that’s a little obsessive, maybe you’re right, but paying attention to the little details is definitely a requirement in this business. Since poshing, I’ve begun to appreciate my clothes more and it comes as an interesting realization when I pick out an item to wear and notice it’s a coveted brand. I feel the kind of ‘special’ I didn’t feel before, especially when I’m wearing it.

Exploring my Creativity

Poshmark keeps me on my toes and creative. I’m regularly updating and sharing my closet. Sounds simple? It involves taking pictures of products/ items, doing research about its value online, listing it and then competitively sharing it to your network of followers and at Posh parties. For someone like me who loves being busy and creative, this is a wonderful diversion from my regular routine and keeps things fresh.

Oh, the convenience of it all!

It’s the work ethic and excitement of the sale, that make me want to ship my items out on the same or following business day. And here again, I let my imagination go wild when it comes to styling my package and having it ship-ready. Ship times and quality of packing are both important for me. My packages get picked up from my mailbox or front porch (for bigger items that don’t fit) and the US Postal service does a fine job of picking up and delivering the item, with the Poshmark app tracking daily updates on the delivery status. So convenient and I think I enjoy this phase of the transaction the most! Imagine doing what shopaholics and fashionistas love, from the comfort & ease of your own home and getting paid for it. Feels wonderful!

Poshmark done the right way can be sustainable & profitable!

Earnings from Posh sales and purchases accumulate as credit in the app , until you are ready to check out with a direct deposit into your Bank of choice or physical cheque delivered to you. The only time I ever spent out of pocket on Poshmark was my first ever purchase. Since then, the earnings from my sales cover the cost of far lesser purchasing transactions. This has given me a sense of financial independence and control, kind of like playing on the stock market with an initial investment which can only grow if you manage it well! I only spend from my accumulated credit on Poshmark. I have never had to inject fresh cash from other sources. As for the capital cost of my inventory – I have always remained faithful to my original goal for joining Poshmark – making space in and downsizing my actual personal/ physical closet. I am blessed with a somewhat good fashion sense, the reason I have waaay too much in my wardrobe. This however means that my actual personal closet is a great and vast source for inventory, ensuring I’m not wasting unnecessary time, energy or capital on out-of-closet items. Poshmark done the right way can be sustainable and profitable!

These are only some of the reasons I love Poshmark. In my next few blog posts I plan to share tips on how to make the best of Poshmark – knowing what brands sell, tips on how to negotiate sales and purchases, what Posh behaviors to follow and how to be creative with your posh packages.

Meanwhile, if you are still undecided or unconvinced about using Poshmark, the only way to decide is by signing up for Poshmark yourself and like they say… the rest will be history.

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